Taking Care of Business: 23 Stylish Home Office Hacks
We’ve shown you home offices that inspire, but if you have a little trouble just looking at pictures and going at it, don’t worry. We’re coming back to you with tutorials to take your own home office from humdrum to oh-hell-yes. DIY is the way to go when you’re organizing and decorating your home office. We all have specific space and style needs, so it’s nice to be able to customize pieces to fit into your lifestyle. Whether you’re just looking to update your desk or want to install some floor-to-ceiling shelving, there are lots of cheap options that repurpose furniture you may already have. Using inexpensive pieces from Ikea and the like, here are 23 home hacks to turn your space from a generic office into a stylish mecca of productivity.
1. Ikea Chic: With some white paint and a little bit of puzzling together, a simple unfinished Ikea table became this chic modern desk. (via Matsutake)
2. Storage Galore: If you are in desperate need of some storage space, check out this “library” of mounted Ikea toy storage boxes. (via Ikea Hackers)
3. Clip-On Desk Organizers: There is nothing more annoying than having a lot of pens on your desk that are always rolling onto the floor as you try to make room for piles of projects. These awesome DIY organizers keep things like pencils right in reach without cluttering up precious desk space! (via Brit + Co.)
4. Gold-Leafed Desk: This desk looks like a million bucks but with a little gold-leafing work and a simple Ikea desk (you’ll see Ikea is a common theme with office hacks), you can have this beauty in your personal office. (via Style Me Pretty)
5. Side Table Shelving: Love your desk, but just wish it had extra storage? Try putting Lack side tables on the ends for a bit of height and more space. (via Apartment Therapy)
6. Chalkboard Mirror: Oh, chalkboard paint, how we love you. Use a cheap Ikea mirror or a thrift shop looking glass for this super easy hack. (via Sea Kettle)
7. Brilliant Shelving: If you have some perfectly good shelves, but they just feel a little drab, you can instantly brighten up your office with some bold color. Use spray paint and you could be done with this hack in an afternoon! (via BHG)
8. Washi Workspace: One of the easiest, cutest office hacks comes from our favorite little friend: washi tape! (via Brit + Co.)
9. Gold A-Frame Desk: Gold spray paint gives this desk a touch of modern glamor instead of looking too industrial. (via Burlap and Lace)
10. Minimalist Office: If you need to fit an office into a narrow room, consider creating this floating desk with slim cabinets underneath for a clean, uncluttered space. (via Ikea Hackers)
11. Color Blocked Mood Board: That measly cork board not quite jiving with your style? How about this awesome, free-standing mood board that you can paint the perfect shade of productivity pink! (via A Beautiful Mess)
12. Faux Steel Finish: Want an industrial-looking office? Check out this awesome faux steel paint job on a wooden Ikea dresser. (via Ikea Hackers)
13. Contact Paper: For the easiest customization ever, try using a wood grained contact paper to give desks and shelves a fun retro feel. (via Happy Mundane)
14. Office Seating: Need a chair that is as gorgeous as that gold leaf desk you just made? Check out the tutorial for this hacked Ikea chair. (via Hither and Thither)
15. Clipboard Wall: If you are a bit ADD about the art that cycles through your office, consider mounting a grid of clipboards for easy swapping in and out of new inspiration. (via Decor8)
16. Vertical Shelving: From shelf to multi-tiered desk, this how-to utilizes vertical space for a chic, minimalist home office space. (via Mommo Design)
17. Pop-Up Pencil Holders: Why have a boring old pencil cup, when you could easily customize some adorable holders using those pop-up straw containers for some really cool, retro storage. (via Brit + Co.)
18. Fauxdenza: This is a quick and affordable DIY that is big on storage, but small on space, making it an ideal home office with all its closed storage to hide the inevitable clutter. (via Apartment Therapy)
19. Butcher Block: These designers cut Ikea butcher block to fit perfectly into this nook; they used one block as a shelf and attached legs to the other plank to use as the desk. (via Houzz)
20. Cubist Shelving: Take some storage bins, paint the insides your favorite color palette, then build a funky piece of shelving with binder clips. (via Livet Hemma)
21. Closet Office: Putting a little office in a closet is a great way to give yourself a little work space. If you leave the doors on the closet, you can literally close the door on all that paper clutter when you want. (via Casa Sugar)
22. Hidden Storage: Yes, we all have gorgeous knick knacks that we want to show off in our office, but there are always a few things that you just don’t want to look at. Try this turtorial to add a couple hidden spaces in your open shelving to maintain that clean look. (via Ikea Hackers)
23. Gold Legged: We love everything about this workspace, from the hacked Ikea desk to that mint and gold color palette. (via Dream Green DIY)
Do any of these tutorials inspire you to hack your workspace? Let us know in the comments below!
